Academic Resilience, Learning Adaptation and Self-Belief among Undergraduate Students in Contemporary Higher Education: An Empirical Investigation

Abstract

This study examined academic resilience, learning adaptation, and self-belief among undergraduate students in selected universities in Edo State. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprised undergraduate students from four selected universities in Edo State. A sample size of 240 students was selected using simple random sampling technique, with 60 students drawn from each university. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled Academic Resilience and Self-Belief Questionnaire (ARSBQ), rated on a four-point Likert scale. The instrument was validated by experts in Educational Psychology, while reliability was established using Cronbach Alpha, yielding a coefficient of 0.82. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that academic resilience has a high influence on students’ learning adaptation, and there is a significant positive relationship between academic resilience and learning adaptation among undergraduate students (r = 0.71, p < 0.05). The study also found that self-belief has a strong positive relationship with academic engagement, and there is a significant relationship between self-belief and academic engagement among undergraduate students (r = 0.68, p < 0.05). The study concluded that academic resilience and self-belief are important psychological factors that enhance students’ learning adaptation and academic engagement in higher education. It was recommended that universities should implement resilience-building programmes and strengthen support systems that promote students’ self-belief and academic engagement.